The 2020 Leo Lovelace Anime Awards
Check out the summary of the 2020 show down below!
The 2020 anime awards featured 34 unique nominees and 12 different winners across its 28 categories – the full list of nominees and winners is broken down by section and category below!
Because the Best Supporting Character and Best Movie awards weren’t added until 2021, I’ve retroactively given these awards to anime I felt were deserving! This increased the total number of different winners to 13
Genre Awards
Best Action
WINNER
Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia
Don’t be surprised if this is the first of many times you see Fate Babylonia throughout this show, because boy was it stellar all the way around. While other major Fate anime like Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night had the protagonist stealing some of the spotlight and taking part in the fights themselves, Babylonia does the opposite, featuring a protagonist who acts as a support and enables the already powerful servants to fight to the best of their ability. As servants allied with Chaldea face off with those summoned to Mesopotamia, legendary warriors and literal gods clash in what are bound to be some of the most epic set pieces Fate has ever seen. Cloverworks’ expressive, dynamic animation perfectly brought the sheer power and scale of the fights to life in what originated as a text heavy visual novel, and as a fan of the game, I couldn’t be happier with how well their imagination captured the insanity and emotions of each major fight, even giving lesser appreciated servants a chance to shine. Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia is action at its best
Other nominees:
Best Adventure/Fantasy
WINNER
Golden Kamuy S3
Though Golden Kamuy has its roots set in history rather than fantasy, featuring some notable Japanese figures like Hijikata Toshizo as recurring characters, that doesn’t in any way take away from the epic journey the characters go on. As they explore in search of the hidden gold and alliances change at the drop of a hat, you never know just what twist will come next, and that combined with one of the most varied and frankly best casts in anime make it an adventure well worth taking
Other nominees:
Best Comedy/Slice of Life
WINNER
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
I loved the concept that serves as the foundation of this anime, featuring three girls who form an anime club and dream of creating something unique. The three of them have a great dynamic with each other that constantly had me enjoying myself, be it because of the funny quips they shoot at each other or just seeing them strive ever closer to achieving their lofty ambitions in their day to day routine. As someone who has often toyed with various creative outlets, such as the Youtube channel you’re watching this video on, I found it to be the perfect mix of relatable, funny, and entertaining
Other nominees:
Best Drama
WINNER
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll
Last year, I said that some of the things I’ve come to appreciate in dramas over time are well told stories, ongoing character development that doesn’t succumb to melodrama, and emotional payoffs. Unsurprisingly, this Violet Evergarden side story excels in all of those areas yet again. Despite being an hour and a half long, it really felt like it would fit in naturally as another episode from the main series. Following two sisters torn apart by distance and time, it was touching seeing the two of them gain a new lease on life thanks to their interactions with Violet and strive to move forward. I felt as though the two letter delivery scenes were some of the most emotional of the year, and KyoAni showed yet again why they’re one of the most beloved studios in anime
Other nominees:
Best Romance
WINNER
Kaguya-sama: Love is War S2
In what I’m sure is no surprise, Love is War proves once again it’s here to stay with a dominant showing. This season, while still maintaining the same level of humor as the previous one, began to move the story and romance forward, all the while introducing new characters and dynamics to the mix. It has two of the best leads and one of the best pairings in all of anime, and every moment spent watching Kaguya and Shirogane inch closer and closer to confessing and realizing their feelings is a joy. Kaguya-sama: Love is War is rom-com at its best
Other nominees:
Editor’s Note: I couldn’t fill the full 6 nominees, so Romance only had 4 nominees this year
Best Suspense
WINNER
Re:Zero S2 P1
Re:Zero was without a doubt one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it lived up to those lofty expectations. As the setting changes to a forest cut off from society and shrouded in mystery, more questions are brought forth about the world they all live in, and the revelations and twists we got were absolutely befitting of the “best thriller” title. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger and twist after twist kept me glued to the screen until I finished it, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the second half of the season
Other nominees:
Character Awards
Best Protagonist
WINNER
Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan: Final Season)
Ever since I first watched the first season of Food Wars nearly five years ago, Soma has consistently been one of my favorite protagonists. He may not have experienced the suffering and development of Subaru, or be as funny as Kaguya, but what he is is absolutely pure, absurd fun. Even after more than 80 episodes, I never get sick of seeing him pull out some crazy recipe to beat his opponents in a shokugeki and prove everyone wrong yet again – that he is one of the best chefs to ever enter Totsuki Academy. He’s determined, passionate, reliable, funny, and one of my favorite protagonists of all time. And now that Food Wars has gotten it’s last season, I’m gonna miss seeing his crazy concoctions – but at least I was able to send him off with a well deserved best protagonist award
Other nominees:
Best Antagonist
WINNER
Echidna (Re:Zero S2 P1)
Compared to the pure insanity that was Betelgeuse in season 1, Echidna is a whole other type of monster. Under her cute and calm demeanor is someone truly befitting of the title of witch of greed. Though she seems to offer Subaru a helping hand at times, it’s hard to adequately determine what her end goal really is, and that makes their conversations all the more thrilling. Echidna embodies my ideal antagonist that I described before the nominees – someone who doesn’t necessarily have bad intentions, but her methods and ideals strongly contrast those of Subaru. I also have to mention how well Maaya Sakamoto does as her voice actress – she does a phenomenal job bringing that cunning persona to life
Other nominees:
Best Supporting Character
Editor’s Note: The Best Supporting Character award was introduced in the 2021 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2020. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Yuu Ishigami (Kaguya-sama: Love is War S2)
Best Cast
WINNER
Great Pretender
The four leads – Makoto, Laurent, Abbie and Cynthia – would’ve had a shot at winning this themselves, but when you add in everyone else, it makes for an insanely varied and enjoyable cast. From the other con artists who play a role in the cons Makoto and co embark on across the world, to the villains they actually con, to the good people who get caught up in their schemes and come out of it as better people, this is without a doubt one of my favorite casts from an original. Wit Studio absolutely knocked it out of the park when it came to creating a rich world filled with likable, unique, and well written characters
Other nominees:
Best Girl
WINNER
Yui Yuigahama (Oregairu S3)
Though I initially expected Oregairu season 3 to be a heavily Yukino season, it was instead Yui who took the spotlight for much of the runtime, as she came to terms with her feelings and the eventual outcome. Yui has had a place in my favorites ever since I first watched Oregairu a few years ago, so seeing the roller coaster she was put on in this final season hurt at times, but it just strengthened everything I already liked about her. Yui has always been the highlight of Oregairu for me, and this year she was the highlight of best girl overall
Other nominees:
Best Guy
WINNER
Gilgamesh (Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia)
Gilgamesh from Babylonia is everything Gilgamesh from Fate/Zero wasn’t. He maintains the power and charisma without coming off as arrogant, acknowledging the strength of the other servants he joins forces with throughout the story and at times displaying his kindness and concern for not just those he rules over, but also the visiting Chaldeans. Caster Gil isn’t just a great king or my favorite guy of the year – he’s one of my all time favorite anime characters
Other nominees:
Best Couple/Ship
WINNER
Adachi & Shimamura (Adachi and Shimamura)
Though this is more of a slow burn romance, it’s one where I found myself rooting for Adachi as she began to question herself and realize she was in love with Shimamura. The small, gradual steps she takes to make her affection known were nice, and I particularly liked the scenes where Shimamura reciprocated in some way, like the Valentine’s message. Though they both have their own issues to work through, they make for a strong ship and I hope to see it come to fruition one day
Other nominees:
Editor’s Note: I didn’t have enough couples/ships to fill out a full 6 nominees this year, so there were only 3
Music Awards
Best OP
WINNER
D4DJ: First Mix
Guru Guru DJ TURN!! – Happy Around!
This OP is just pure fun. From the ways each character gets to show off their personality, to the upbeat and catchy song, to the vibrant and expressive colors, to the various DJ paraphernalia they seamlessly mix in throughout, it perfectly encapsulated everything the show is about. Of those things, I particularly liked the colors and DJ references. The neon lights outlining two of the vocalists performing and the crowd were really well done, and the remaining mix of bright colors and some graffiti style was very visually interesting. As for the DJ references, we have a smooth transition into the other vocalists appearing, one of the characters hitting a launchpad in time with the beat of the song, and the main cast spinning on a turntable as they launch into the chorus. All in all it’s an extremely fun, creative opening that I found myself constantly going back to
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Best OST (Soundtrack)
WINNER
Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia
Keita Haga & Ryou Kawasaki
Babylonia has without a doubt one of my favorite soundtracks – between remixes of iconic tracks from the game like Grand Battle and Bonds and some brand new ones, they had the perfect track ready for every scene and fight. But rather than try and explain just why I like it so much, and inevitably not do it justice, take a listen for yourself. If you’re a fan of music, it’s absolutely worth checking out, even if you don’t watch the show
Other nominees:
Best OST Track
WINNER
Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia
Absolute Demonic Front
This track, aside from being used in some of the best fights of the show, quickly became my anthem of 2020. Whenever I was trying to get hyped up for whatever reason, I’d listen to this. Whenever I wanted to reminisce about the show, I’d listen to this. Whenever I tried getting my friends to watch the show, I’d send them this track as an example of how good the soundtrack was. Whenever I was rolling gacha for my favorite characters, I’d play this track during my rolls as a good luck charm… and was pretty successful. It’s an incredible track with a godly drop, and it easily took the spot of my favorite track of the year
Editor’s Note: 1:33 makes me feel like I can do anything
Other nominees (click the song names to listen to them!):
Best Insert Use
WINNER
D4DJ: First Mix
Across its 13 episodes, D4DJ boasts nearly 20 unique insert songs, which is just an insane feat to pull off, and I genuinely enjoyed nearly every one of them, though as they lean towards EDM and I love that genre and going to raves, I’m a bit biased. The inserts tend to cap off each episode with the debut of a new song, and often feature full performances with choreography, lights, an active crowd, and even sometimes guest performers joining them. But what really got to me with the inserts in D4DJ was just how well they emulated a concert environment. The lights, dancing and jumping in the crowd, the way the camera rapidly swung around between different unit members, the production value… all of it felt like they could actually be a real concert, and it made me miss going to shows all the more. They even got the little details right, like the front of the crowd jumping and being more active while the back is more laid back and chill. The enjoyment I got out of the inserts from this was unparalleled
Other nominees:
Best Insert Song
WINNER
BanG Dream! S3
Straight Through Our Dreams!
When it came down to it, I thought D4DJ had the best songs and performances, and I thought Grand Escape was the biggest spectacle. But what Straight Through Our Dreams did better than anything else on the list was the emotional aspect. After three seasons, after the various competitions and drama, after everything the bands have been through – seeing them join together for this truly incredible performance could only be described as cathartic, especially as someone who has been a fan of the franchise for years now. Though the vibe and song is a happy one, I choke up every time I watch it just because of how much buildup led to this moment in time. I loved the various shots of the different instrument groups playing together, the way they paid tribute to the other bands who weren’t present for this performance, the way they managed to include all of the side characters who helped the girls reach this point, and the shots of each vocalist basking in the confetti and spotlight. Like the song title of “Straight Through Our Dreams” may imply, they not only achieved their dreams, but blasted right through it, and god was it satisfying to see
Other nominees (click the song names to listen to them!):
Best ED
WINNER
BanG Dream! S3
Straight Through Our Dreams! – Poppin’Party
Bet you didn’t see that one coming right after winning best insert, eh? The standard ED version of the song is no slouch either, with some beautiful watercolor looking visuals depicting the many characters of the franchise in their daily lives. I loved how it showed beloved dynamics from the game that you don’t always get to see in the anime – in that way, it felt like this ED was a love letter to fans of the franchise. The Hikawas with Tsugumi, Rimi and Moca enjoying some bread together, the cat squad, Himari and Rimi cheering for Kaoru, Arisa and Ran sharing their love of plants, Saya hanging out with her friend from Chispa, and many, many more. And I’d be remiss to not mention the fantastic illustrations of Poppin’Party that start and end the song, and the final shot of all the bands’ instruments together on stage. I couldn’t have asked for a better ED for one of my favorite franchises
Other nominees (click the song names to watch them!):
Production Awards
Best Art
WINNER
Great Pretender
Between Trigger’s unique style, Burn the Witch’s impressive realization of London, and Fate Babylonia’s beautiful nature, there was some fantastic art this year – but in my opinion, nothing held a candle to Great Pretender. After winning last year with Vinland Saga, Wit Studio takes home the award yet again. The art in Great Pretender is absolutely gorgeous, with bright, vivid colors painted all across the screen. From the ripples of waves in the ocean to a gorgeous sunset to the streets of Hollywood, I often found myself thinking, “Damn… I wish real life looked this good”
Other nominees:
Best Character Design
WINNER
Great Pretender
Taking place across multiple countries and even continents, Great Pretender had one of the most visually varied casts of the year, but even in the face of the many dozens of different characters you meet throughout the show, everyone has a unique, memorable, and honestly fun design. Great Pretender is a show with a massive collection of characters representing people from all walks of life, and Wit Studio did a great job bringing each and every one of them to life
Other nominees:
Best Animation
WINNER
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
Eizouken has probably some of the most creative animation that I’ve seen, and I loved every second of it. As the girls’ imaginations run wild, their ideas and creations are literally brought to life before our eyes, and it sucks them and people around into it. For example, when they debut their proof of concept anime at the club presentation, a gust of wind billows out from the screen and into the audience, showing how absorbed their viewers are getting in their creations. It does a great job depicting that relationship between viewer and anime – as you get further drawn into the world and story, the animation and sound design, you begin to feel like you’re a part of it
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Male)
WINNER
Yuusuke Kobayashi
Natsuki Subaru (Re:Zero S2 P1)
Subaru himself may be a contentious protagonist to some, but what I don’t think anyone will argue with is how absurdly godly Yuusuke Kobayashi is as his voice actor. His anguished moments where he breaks down and his screams of pain will go down in history with Shinji’s from Evangelion, and every other moment in between does a perfect job of capturing every side of Subaru’s personality and journey. They don’t call Subaru “Suffer-u” for no reason, and Kobayashi really makes you believe he’s going through it
Other nominees:
Best Voice Acting Performance (Female)
WINNER
Aoi Koga
Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama: Love is War S2)
What’s not to love about her performance as Kaguya? I couldn’t possibly imagine anyone bringing here and all of her antics to life better than Aoi Koga done – the abrupt tone shifts with Kaguya’s shifting personality, the tsun moments, the dere moments, the devious schemes – all of it is absolutely perfect
Other nominees:
Overall Awards
Best Story
WINNER
Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia
I feel like Fate generally has pretty engaging stories, but Babylonia is the cream of the crop, generally voted one of the top two arcs (of which there are nearly 20) in the mobile game, and for good reason. It’s a journey of the most epic proportions in nearly every way. It’s a story that takes place during the end of the age of gods in which humans and gods coexisted, and pits the two against each other in a last ditch fight to save the world. It’s a story about desperation, sacrifice, redemption, and hope. A story that seamlessly weaves together a cast of humans, gods, and legendary warriors all with their own ideals and goals in a conflict on the grandest of scales, and one that I was on the edge of my seat for every step of the way
Other nominees:
Most Underrated/Underwatched
WINNER
D4DJ: First Mix
When I look at it objectively, I kind of get it. It’s a music show, which is already a niche genre. It uses CG for its animation, which generally isn’t very popular among the average anime fan. But it’s a fantastic show in it’s own right, especially if you’d consider yourself a fan of music. It’s got a fun cast that just seems to continue to expand but never get overwhelming. Its story is well paced and follows the characters gradually discovering their passion for music and performing together. It doesn’t let itself get bogged down by any melodrama, resolving any and all conflicts quickly. It has some of the best performance scenes and insert songs I’ve heard in any anime. And most importantly, it’s just really damn fun to watch. Out of nearly every show I watched this year, it’s the one I find myself going back to rewatch scenes in the most, and I really, really wish more people checked it out. It reminded me just why I love music and going to concerts so much
Other nominees:
Best Movie
Editor’s Note: The Movie award was introduced in the 2021 awards, so I’ve retroactively selected a winner for 2020. I don’t have a write-up for the winner at this time because of it being retroactive!
WINNER
Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul
Best Episode
WINNER
Re:Zero S2 P2
Episode 4 (29) – Parent and Child
Episode 29 wasn’t just one of the most emotional Re:Zero episodes yet, but likely the most emotional of the year in general. Subaru is a protagonist who at times feels like he stagnates or gets stuck in a rut, and this episode was one that finally enabled him to face, accept and move on from his past – but in doing so, also face the parents he left behind. Learning more about Subaru’s backstory added some depth to his character and actions in previous episodes, but it’s the conversations that he has with his mother and father and the gut wrenching performance from Yuusuke Kobayashi that solidified this as the best episode of the year for me
Other nominees:
Best Sequel/Spinoff
WINNER
Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia
I feel like I’ve gushed about the show quite a bit already, but to sum it up: as a huge fan of the game, I couldn’t be happier with how Cloverworks adapted my favorite arc to date. All of the major fights were bigger, better, and more imaginative than I ever could have hoped, the soundtrack was filled with incredible tracks, and they even gave some of the lesser appreciated servants from the story a chance to shine with expanded scenes. After seeing Babylonia take shape in Cloverworks’ capable hands, I don’t think I could possibly be any more excited for their upcoming Solomon adaptation
Other nominees:
Anime of the Year
WINNER
Great Pretender
For the second year in a row, Wit Studio takes home the gold. Great Pretender is without a doubt one of the most creative and engaging anime I’ve gotten my hands on. It tells a complete, globetrotting epic of a story with a massive cast of unique, fun, likable, adult characters, whose developing dynamics and gradual backstory drip just made me more and more attached to them. As our group of con artists move from heist to heist and the stakes raise ever higher, I found myself getting pulled further and further into the wacky and original world that Wit dreamed up. And as each con went on, I often found myself getting conned right along with the villains – there are so many twists or surprises that I didn’t see coming in how each con played out, and I loved constantly getting caught off guard with each surprise – even if some of them bordered on being particularly goofy towards the end. The art is hands down some of the best I’ve ever seen in anime, with a beautiful color palette and amazingly designed scenery and backdrops. The jazzy soundtrack by Yutaka Yamada perfectly complemented the tone of the show and the various heists, and the frequent insert songs got themselves stuck in my head. It’s an incredibly imaginative anime, and shows the heights a talented, passionate team can accomplish. It’s the type of show I could see myself recommending to just about anyone – not just to those who already like anime, but even to those who could use an introduction to the medium thanks to its originality and accessibility. Great Pretender is a gem of an anime, and one that you absolutely need to check out
Other nominees:
Final Summary of Nominees
You can check out the full list of anime that were nominated for awards below in alphabetical order!
